The instance you give about recording into the PC is a prime example of how your holding yourself back. Your spending so much time fannying around with a instrument you dont play your getting put off doing what you wanted to do.
Why not just plug your guitar into your amp, press record on a tape player (i use a zoom H2 but that means more outlay) then play your guitar, see what comes out. Thats all I do lately to write stuff, hole up in the bedroom with the zoom on record. Play the recording back later and take the bits I like.

We worry far too much about gear and not enough about playing.

Also as everyone else says, you gotta play with other musicians. It's the fast track to learning. Cant you find a jam night anywhere to go to?

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No no and no

I played my first paying gig over 40 yrs ago at 15 and since then have reinvested every cent I've earned playing back into music either in gear or recordings etc.I agree with what a lot of Forumites are saying,playing with others can sharpen your playing skills much more than any amount of lessons and it also exposes you to the influences and styles of other musicians consequently broadening your musical horizons.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Did your teacher consider the possibility that this may be a hobby for you?
I said in another post recently that I dont believe my playing skills justify the amount of gear that I own. Especially since it is just a hobby. I also take lessons and my guitar teacher knows exactly where I stand on it. So what if I'm not in a band and I dont play as well as Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck or Eddie Van Halen. I enjoy the guitar and thats all that really matters. Maybe you get more of a return on your investment than he realizes.

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"My mind is a raging torrent, flooded with rivulets of thought cascading into a waterfall of creative alternatives." Blazing Saddles...

+1
after all love is what makes the musical world go round

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

How I met my missus. Best of all you can usually ply em with booze at no expense cos your on free drinks.

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No no and no

Ok...I know this thread is a few days old and that I'm a bit late getting in here but I would like to drop my $.02 worth in here anyways...if nothing else it gives my fingers something to do while I'm having my morning coffee .

In my view there are two things we're talking about here...money investment, as in the money you spend on gear and time investment, as in the time you put in practicing and learning to play. Obviously I haven't met the teacher but from the sound of the OP's post, I think that teacher was really referring to the second thing. I will however address the first issue there as well.

Speaking from my own personal situation, it's really hard for me to imagine making all the money back that I've invested in "gear" over the years by playing gigs. At this point in my life, I (and my wife) literally have 10's of thousands of dollars invested in equipment...right now down in my studio I have somewhere around 25 guitars, 3 drum kits (including one electronic for recording), I think I'm up to 8 or 10 amps now, full PA system, recording gear, yadda, yadda, yadda. In other words, doing "bar gigs" at $50 or so a night, it's going to take me -a very long time- to really begin to make that money back. On the other hand, in my case at least I do tend to look at that as something of a "nest egg" for my wife and I...when I/we are too old to play, most of that gear will be "vintage" and some of it may be worth a few bucks so we can sell it all and retire to some nice tropical paradise! LOL!!!

Seriously though, I honestly don't really think too much about the money my wife and I have invested in the music gear over the years. For me/us, it's simply what we need to play music. I guess you could say that from that point of view I look at it as any other "hobby"...some folks dish out a ton of dough for good wood working equipment, some folks (like my mother before she died) spend -a lot- on crafting and quilting supplies, etc., etc., and many if not most never see any "return on their investment" money-wise...the return there is simply in the pleasure you get from whatever it is that you do. In my case, that's simply playing music. I don't need 25 guitars...heck...I don't need5 Strats...but I like them. I like playing them, I like working on them...sometimes I even enjoy sitting downstairs looking at them! LOL!!!

Now on the time thing, if that's actually what the teacher was talking about, I have to say that I do somewhat agree. Ok...I'm sure that a great many of us know people who own something like an acoustic guitar and are perfectly content just "strumming on their front porch on a warm summer's evening", and there's nothing wrong with that at all. I have certainly known people who have absolutely no desire at all to play anywhere other than their bedroom or basement for whatever reason. However to me, at least part of playing music is about working with other musicians. Even if it's not actually in "a band", I just truly enjoy sitting around with other people and playing...sharing chops, being a gear heads and talking about equipment and just enjoying this thing we call "music" with others. I dunno...maybe this sounds silly but to me it's almost like drinking or indulging in that smokable stuff...it's just a much better experience to "share it with others" than to sit at home doing it all by yourself.

I also find that being in a band and working with others pushes me to be better too. The currant band I'm in is a great example...all of the guys are pretty much semi-pro and have all been playing for many years so as the only guitar player I -really- have to be on top of my game. From that stand point...and I think this may be what the teacher was getting at...this gives me a reason to actually practice. Sitting around and "jamming with mp3's" (or Youtube) is fine and it is fun, but it's not really the same as really learning the tunes so that you can sound your best in the band.

Personally I also have to say that while I think a band should be tight and professional to get up on stage, once you reach that point...there's just nothing like being on stage. When the band hit's that groove and the crowd is really in to it, there's just no drug in the world that compares to that feeling. It's simply the best "high" there is in my opinion. That said though, you do have to be good, both as a musician and as a "team player" and the only way to get that way is practice, practice practice.

Now I would add that for me personally, being in a band does encompass a rather wide range of emotions as well. Yes, it's truly incredible to get up on stage and really nail it but it can take a long while before you get there involving -a lot- of frustration, resentment, sorrow and pretty much every other negative emotion. Sometimes just dealing with other musicians can be a -serious- pain in the butt!!! There's a lot of folks out there that "play instruments" but there are far less that are actually "musicians" and even less still that share your same point of view, your same taste in music and your same goals...just finding the -right- people for a band can be a serious challenge in itself. That said, for me at least, it -is- worth it...Mamma always told me ya gotta take the bad with the good and if you really want it bad enough, you'll find a way to make it happen (ok...my mother never actually said that but you get the point! LOL!).

As a few others have mentioned, there's also the recording route so I'd like to drop an extra $.02 on that one too. Alrighty, I will reluctantly admit that I'm getting a bit older but I remember a time where if someone want to record -anything- you had to fork out a ton of bread...often to a half baked local studio that didn't really do a good job...just to record some "demos". Doing something such as your own "album" was simply out of the question unless you had a recording contract or someone in the band was -really- rich. We truly live in a wonderful age in this regards. Anyone with a half way decent computer, some recording software and a bit of know how can cut their own tunes and in this day and age you can turn around and sell them yourself on places such as Napster, AmazonMP3, etc.. You may not "make it big" this way but the potential is there. Just 20 years ago I would have been quite lucky to have my music heard even by close friends but now...even with something like Soundclick.com, I've had people on the other side of the world, living in countries I've never heard of listen to my music...it's truly an extraordinary time to be a musician.

I can respect the OP's issues about doing the drums and such. In my own case I do also play drums so "programming a drum track" isn't really a big deal for me...I -know- what a good drum track is supposed to sound like and thus can reproduce that on a drum machine (either hardware or software based). For someone who really doesn't know anything about drums, it is a bit tougher (and the same thing applies for keys or any other instrument for that matter). Again though as others have suggested, there -are- alternatives...with things such as "looping software" for example a person can put together a reasonably decent sounding drum track with relative ease. There's also the option of just bringing in a "real drummer" too and either recording those drums live or having him/her program that drum track as well. There are a great many options out there so saying "I can't do it" is really just an excuse in my book.

The -only- thing that can really stop a person from doing any of this in this day and age is simply motivation. Something one of my early teachers told me still sticks with me...playing an instrument isn't really so much about technique or what you know or equipment or anything else really, it's about "passion". It's the passion to play that drives a person to buy that guitar in the first place, to practice that guitar to the point that you can play with others or make your own recordings or anything else. Passion is the single motivating factor that drives all of this. In my mind this is what separates "musicians" from every other single person who's ever said "I really want to learn how to play guitar (or piano or drums, whatever) but I just don't have the time (or talent, patience, etc.)". A person who has that passion -will- find the time...if you want it that badly, you'll find a way to do it.

I will also say that while I can't speak for others, personally there is something inside of me that just -has- to play. My wife has said it many times over the years...if I go for more than a week or two without playing, I start to get "cranky", LOL!!! Seriously...in my own case in the nearly 3 decades that I've been playing I've held many "day jobs" (even though some were at night)...I've been a machinist, a retail clerk, a line cook, a delivery driver, etc., but through it all I've been a guitar player. Being a musician has got me through some very hard times in my life including my wife's ordeal with cancer and even the recent passing of my mother. It's not always a rational thing but there is something inside of any "artist" that sets them apart from others and again in my opinion, the biggest part of that is simply the passion to play.

So to the OP (and anyone else patient enough to read any of my posts like this! LOL), my suggestion is to look deep within yourself and decide if -you- want this. In the end, it doesn't really matter what a bunch of folks on a public forum think, it doesn't matter what your parents or your girlfriend/wife/significant other thinks and it really doesn't even matter what your teacher thinks. I -you- want it, then go for it and find a way to make it work! If recording your own material is what it takes, then that's what you do. If you need to get yourself in to "a band" then go for it. As a guitar player, your own future is up to you!

Again, just my own opinions as always.
Peace,
Jim

This is a thread that describes my situation...

I'm self-taught, and been playing (poorly) for around 31 years. As a beginner, it was fun learning chords and songs. I was able to start jamming with other (very kind and generous) people after only a few months of playing and it was very rewarding; it was an incentive to learn new stuff and was extremely fun! After about a year and a half I joined a band as a simple rhythm guitarist (which is all I'll ever be) and it was a blast... the comraderie was just as good as playing. BTW, this was while I was in the Army.

Years later, all I did was play on my own, trying to learn new songs and playing along with cassettes/CDs. When I got simple recording gear, I began to write songs with 2 or 3 guitar parts, although for drums I could only use the basic patterns because I didn't know how to program the drum machine. At this time, my playing and creativity increased a LOT by writing my own songs. I was able to play things that I didn't think I could, and write simple guitar solos even though I'm not a "lead" guitarist and can't improvise at all.

The recording gear was eventually sold after I joined a band and concentrated on learning new songs. Again, I was able to learn things that I thought were beyond my ability and actually surprised myself at times.

After leaving the band last year, I find myself losing interest in playing, even though I still get the urge to buy more gear. I really want a better amp than my Blues Junior, but can't justify the cost when I'm not even in a band. I don't even have the cash for recording gear right now, so I don't have that for an incentive anymore. I do have a POD and could probably record on the computer with Audacity, but I don't really like working with computers... I'd rather have a stand-alone recorder.

Writing/recording or playing in a band are the biggest things that keep my interest in playing going. Playing alone in my basement at low volume is okay for a little while, but it gets boring. I need to #1 join a band again, or #2 get recording gear before I lose interest completely. Playing gigs isn't even that important, although I wouldn't mind doing the occasional backyard party. To me, playing in a band setting doing music I like is the goal, not making money playing in bars. Even with 31 years experience I still suck, but I love to play... and I don't want to lose that love!

I play because I like to play, and I buy what I want simply because I want it.

If you look at it from a time and money invested comared to amount you will get in return perspective, I doubt if most of us end up on the "plus" side of that equation.

Play music because you enjoy it THAT is the sole purpose and reason for doing it. Anything else (money, fame, glory, girls) should be "gravy".

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

keep everything in balance and if you are having fun- then so be it-- it is a hobby that is safe and fun for most of us

That I'm having fun, and enjoying playing, no matter what else happens.

That makes it worth it, and that alone.

Very few people actually make enough money playing guitar to make a decent living--we hear about the exceptions, but seldom do we hear about the majority.

So if you enjoy playing--keep at it, if you don't enjoy it--don't play-find something you enjoy.

As for spending money--can you afford it?

I have never looked at buying gear or taking lessons as an investment, because generally those things would be poor investments-at least financially.


So to summarize:
If you enjoy it--it's worth it.
If you can afford it, that doesn't mean you have to spend it, but it doesn't put a damper on spending it.

If you can't afford it, get something for less, save up longer, or stick with what you have.
If you don't enjoy, try something else.

It's quite simple actually.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

haha, i agree with you with set the drums in the recording software. till the drum sound found or the setting finish the ideas are often gone.

all what comes in my mind on riffs or melodies i play it a time then i write it down. if i hear also a drum pattern to a riff i write it also under the riff.
then i start with drum setting, record the riff. after hearing i change something on the drum setting or change the riff, a process.

cheers